Statement on Monitor investigation into Heart of England NHS Trust

Dear friends,

You may have seen the news already but Monitor, the sector regulator for health services in England, has announced today that it is launching an investigation into the deteriorating financial position at Heart of England NHS Trust. You can read my statement on the matter below and the full press release further below that. Statement from Liam Byrne MP "Heartlands has acted fast to sort the serious care issues I raised last year - but it now looks like the government is simply not giving the hospital enough money to do the job local residents expect. Our A&E and maternity unit are now some of the busiest in Britain and quite frankly we will not be short-changed." "Heartlands now needs to get a permanent experienced chief executive in place and get the government round the table to agree a proper financial plan for the future. We expect and demand first class services. And we're not going to settle for anything less" Press release from Monitor Embargoed until 14:00, Thursday 1 October 2015 Monitor opens investigation into deteriorating financial position at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust The health sector regulator has launched an investigation after Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust reported it is heading for a significant deficit by the end of the financial year. The trust, which provides NHS services for approximately 1.2million people in Birmingham, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield and South Staffordshire, has recorded a £29.5 million deficit in the first five months of this financial year, and has had to use its cash reserves for the day-to-day running of the trust. Monitor is concerned about the speed of the deterioration and lack of a robust plan to address these issues. Our investigation will seek to understand the underlying financial risks, the challenges the trust faces and what needs to be done to fix it. Marianne Loynes, Regional Director at Monitor said: “This trust has slipped worryingly into the red, using its cash reserves to prop up the day-to-day running. A deficit of £29.5 million in five months is simply not acceptable and we want to establish what can be done to ensure the trust continues to provide the services local patients value.” An announcement about the outcome of the investigation will be made in the next few weeks. ENDS Notes to editors:

• For further information please contact Nick Burke, Media Relations Officer (Burke@monitor.gov.uk) or press.office@monitor.gov.uk(020 3747 0800)

• Monitor is the sector regulator of NHS-funded health care services. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 its main duty is to protect and promote the interests of people who use them. Information about Monitor’s role can be found here.

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